The Dark in the Light of Day
by MakaioRed
Summary: Ryu laments over his dark hadou, he saves a young Yugi Mutou while in a forest, and helps him get home to his grandpa.


Control. It is something I fight for every time a breath is expelled from my body. Each moment of the week, I find myself resisting the Satsui no Hadou and the senselessness it brings out of me. It is the sole reason why I travel alone; no friend is safe in my presence.

And travel is all I have done. The forest was a new place for me to explore. The trees spoke volumes of the impending spring. Rabbits populated the bushes. The birds of prey which obstructed the clouds had food for all of their offspring.

The forest was a peaceful place to be in, untouched by the industrialists of the world, though I still felt the burning destruction within me from time to time. At one time I saw myself in a reflection of a river in this forest and it was not Ryu I saw, but a monster.

Despite the darkness trying to claw its way out of me, the seclusion was bliss. The natural greens of the trees and the peaceful fauna calmed me. The peace eventually swam across me, my heart as a stormy ocean calmed by each stroke. And with calmness came sleep, my eyes found themselves sealed into darkness.

A scream awoke me from my near enchanted slumber. A high pitched shrill; a sign that there was someone in need of help. I picked myself up off of the dew filled grass, and ran off through the shrubbery into the direction of the noise.

Out of the wilderness and into the cover of a shadow I landed. I was hidden in a few bushes on top of a hill overlooking a small wooden construct. The lenses of my eyes fixed themselves onto a scene of violence below. They were greeted furthermore with the sight of a young boy being beaten savagely by his seemingly anorexic father. The older man's bony left arm was flinging a whip on the child.

"You little shit!" he exclaimed. "That slice of bread was mine. You don't get breakfast until high noon and when I've taken a piss in your tea." The man kept flailing his whip on the boy, who could only whelp with exclaimed cries of agony.

I could not contain myself, I stepped out of the bushes, and leapt into the air. It was a big fall, but I landed safely, straight into their presence but not in their vision. "Stop!" I shouted, bringing their eyes fully onto me.

The man with the whip ceased his heinous activity and stared at me with awe using bloodshot eyes. He opened his mouth, revealing a lack of teeth, and said, "This is none of your concern karate man. Best you be on your way."

I could see no heart in this man yet he still stood in the land of the living. I couldn't leave that boy to be abused further. "Not until you leave that boy alone."

"He's my son to do with what I will," the man said cackling away, while hitting the boy with the whip again.

I could not hold my anger in any longer. The Murderous Intent was surfacing. "Hadouken!" I screamed, putting my hands together and letting the ki flow out of me.

My blue hadouken, so much like fire, collided into the man and sent his scarecrow body flying through the air. He hit the side of the shack, causing it to collapse and cascade. I could still sense life from him, even though he wasn't quite deserving of it with the state my mind was in at that moment.

The young boy ran up to me and said, "Thank you for saving me." There was such pain in his eyes, pain that shouldn't be with someone so young. Pain that would still be there when the wounds were healed.

"It was nothing," I replied. "Was your dad always like that?"

The boy shrugged at the notion of the man being his father. "That wasn't really my dad," he said harshly. "He kidnapped me from my grandpa."

I was struck by this, and even more so by the cruelty of the kidnapper. I looked at the unconscious man and pondered the extent of his derangement. "I'm so sorry for what you had to endure. What's your name?"

The boy's face lit up, his spiky hair waved with content. His voiced quivered as he said, "Yugi…."

"I'm Ryu," I said extending my arm out to his. He shook it subtly and politely. "Where does your grandpa live?"

"Just over the mountain. He must be worried sick."

I turned to face the direction of the mountain. The trail disappeared into trees, but I could still see that this journey would not be over by dusk. "That's a long journey, at least two days on foot. Are you up to it?"

Yugi's face stiffened with determination. "Yes, Ryu-san."

"Good. I'll help get you back to your grandpa."

"Thank you Ryu-san. I fear the journey. It is long and I am young."

"No worries, young one. We will be safe. All we need is confidence."

"C'mon!" Yugi shouted leaving me behind in a cloud of dust. I knew I had to help him get back to his grandpa, but I thought he'd wait just a moment to collect some water. I'd better not leave him running down the path alone.

"Yugi-kun, wait up."

With that our journey began. Yugi's run didn't last forever, which was alright by me, and we walked for several hours talking and joking. The forest was kind to us; providing us with safe food and drinkable water. The animals neither interfered nor ran away. However the sun was not as hospitable as the forest and it eventually set, forcing us to find shelter.

Next to an oak tree we started a fire, and I got blankets out of the duffel bag I carry with me. At peace around the fire, snug and warm, we both talked.

"That was quite amazing, what you did back there earlier today," Yugi told me.

"If you think so."

"You don't sound too convinced."

"Power like that… it's enough to bring out the worst in people."

"But you did something good, you saved me."

"Yes, but that man nearly died. He may have been rotten to the core, but death isn't necessary. My power nearly killed him."

"But he deserved it."

"Yugi-kun, no one ever truly deserves it. Not like that."

"I guess you're right."

"You should get some sleep, I'll stay on watch tonight."

"Good night Ryu-san."

"Good night Yugi-kun."

I stood watch throughout the night. Howls of inhuman form breached the sound barrier in an effort to reach my ears. I watched the moon librate and the stars fade until the morning light of dawn shook the land to a dazed awaking.

When Yugi was fully ready, we left; the better part of our journey now over. A short while into our walk we reached the banks of a large river. While it provided us with a source of safe, edible mushrooms, it was now obstructing our path, until Yugi said, "Look, a bridge." He ran ahead with great haste, leaving me behind again. This time though it was a terrible mistake.

I heard Yugi scream, and I ran to the bridge as fast as possible. The bridge was made of brick and stone making it safe to cross, except for a man in the centre of it, holding a gun to Yugi's head.

"You!" the man shouted. "Give me all your money, or the twerp dies."

"Let him go of him!" I shouted. The Satsui no Hadou started to surface, and I was struggling to contain it within.

"I have the gun; there is nothing you can do. Hand over your money."

I didn't have any money, and I doubt the man would have let anyone who gave money to him live. It didn't matter; I made a move with my flash step. I had to save Yugi-kun.

"Where'd he go?"

"He's behind you," Yugi said. As I grabbed the man's firing arm and pulled it back, Yugi kicked the man where it hurts the most. I then threw the man over my shoulder into the water.

"Thanks for saving me, Ryu-san."

"You handled yourself pretty well," I said, while crushing the gun with my feet.

We carried on with our journey until sometime later we reached the floor of the mountain. Rather than climb it, we were going to pass through the caves to get to the other side. Theses caves were cold and damp, but they offered very little in the way of threats. At least, until I heard a dark, nearly dead, voice. "I see you Ryu!"

"Who's there?" I shouted.

"Ryu-san?" Yugi said in fear, standing his ground.

A figure emerged from the dank surroundings. "Don't you recognise the sound of true power?"

"Gouki!"

"Yes Ryu. I have found you, and you have a little friend."

"Leave him alone."

"Gou hadouken!" Gouki screamed, and he hit Yugi with a blast of ki.

"Nooo!" I screamed running to Yugi's body. He wasn't moving at all. His ki was gone, but all I could feel was an overwhelming and dark ki. "You… you killed him. Gouki, you will pay."

"That is exactly what I want from you. You are the only adversary the world has to offer me. And I will accept this challenge."

"Hadouken!" I screamed, consumed with rage and the Satsui no Hadou slowly building up inside of me.

"Is that all you have Ryu? Surely there is more. I know you are still resisting your true power."

The two of us fought. Our punches were exchanged for kicks, and kicks for exchanged for ki blasts. My arm was gashed during one of Gouki's attacks and I began to lose blood.

"Fool, you still resist the Satsui no Hadou."

"I will not be consumed by the Satsui no Hadou like you have and I will not become a heartless, cold blooded killer like you," I said, before preparing my stance for another attack. "Shoryuken."

My fist bored through his torso and he flew to the ground. Gouki's chest had a wound just like the one I inflicted on Sagat. Blood gushed out of the wound; it haemorrhaged massively like a fountain . Gouki shouldn't have been able to stand and yet he did, and all could do was laugh.

"You left a scratch, very good, but it isn't enough. You could have been great Ryu, the strength lies within you. You could use that strength to find true power; instead you waste it on tame ideals and compassion. I will finish this and you once and for all. Shinkuu Shakunetsu Hadouken!"

A great energy blast of pure fire erupted from Gouki. I was certain my time was at an end. I was certain that Gouki's evil would live on in the world. I was certain of death. But something happened and a small figure stepped in front of me.

The energy blast dissipated completely, and I stood in awe with what I saw. "What? It's Yugi, but I it's not his energy I sense. It's a much darker ki, but when Yugi was hit I thought that dark energy was Gouki's."

"Gouki, I will not let you harm Ryu-san. I challenge you to a shadow game."

"Whatever challenge this may be, I accept."

"A game?" I said to myself. "What is Yugi doing?"

Yugi stood poised to strike. He had a different look about him. "The first person to draw blood from the other's forehead wins."

Gouki laughed at this seemingly easy challenge. "This should be fairly easy small boy. You are hopelessly out classed. You cannot hope to…"

Gouki lost his guard because he kept speaking about his superiority instead of fighting. He was wide open when Yugi attacked. All I heard was the sound of a slash. In an instant Yugi had slashed Gouki's forehead.

Gouki stood frozen, unable to move. "I… I lost… What's happening I cannot move?"

"Your pride was your downfall. You believed that your size and your naturally high spirit energy made you powerful. What you failed to realise it that true power comes from the heart. For that reason, with all your talk, I was able to make a swift attack with this sharp rock. And now for a Penalty Game: Illusion of Power." A flash of light surrounded Yugi and then Gouki.

Gouki started running around the cave laughing and screaming, "Yes! Yes! I feel it, I feel it. I am the strongest. Yes, the power. All mine. All mine."

I watched as Gouki ran out of the cave, for the first time ever I'd seen him dismiss his seriousness. He may seem crazy now, but at least he was happy. "Yugi? How did you do that?"

"I am not Yugi, but do not fret, he is safe, though this body is wounded and needs some attention."

"Are you…"

"Who I am… at the moment I cannot remember, but my spirit was drawn to Yugi. One day Yugi will finish the Millennium Puzzle and I will come to his aid again. I now bid you farewell." After those words Yugi's body collapsed to the floor. I ran to him and pulled out some healing herbs to help him.

"Thank you stranger, wherever you may be going."

I applied ointment to Yugi's wounds and then wrapped them up with bandages. When Yugi regained consciousness we left for his home. I carried him all the way, as he was still hurt and for most of the time he slept. Eventually I reached a small town and dropped Yugi off at a hospital.

"His wounds could have been fatal," the doctor told me, "if you hadn't helped him when you did. I've called the boy's grandfather, he'll be here soon."

That was good news. Yugi was finally home, and his grandfather's pacemaker could beat with less worry. I was glad I could have helped; this is what it means to have power and to use it. If I couldn't help others with my abilities then I have no power at all. I sat inside Yugi's ward, next to his gurney, looking out the window at the sky. The moon looked as if it was smiling and the stars looked as if they were crying tears of joy. At least, it was pleasant to think that.


End file.
